The Scooby Scare
by DavidPresents
Summary: The gang investigate a historic bed and breakfast, haunted by a ghostly lighthouse keeper, who kidnaps Daphne! Will Freddy rescue this damsel in distress? Rated for light bondage.


_**Prologue**_

"Mpfff!" Daphne screamed in fright.

The redhead was seated in a chair, restrained with white ropes that circled her torso and legs. A simple blue bandana was tied over her lips, quite enough to silence her. She gave her abductor a pleading glance.

"I'm sorry, Daphne," Rufus Milton said. He wore a dark suit, his short brown hair swept carelessly over his head. "But you leave me no choice. If you won't decide to be with me, then I must do something drastic. You'll stay young and pretty with me forever, preserved in wax!"

A large cauldron was suspended from the ceiling, directly over Daphne. Rufus toyed with a rope in his hand. A solid pull and hot wax would pour over his captive! Daphne shook her head, silently imploring Rufus not to do this!

A door to one side burst open. "Stop it, Rufus!" Freddy ordered. The blond raced over the Rufus. The two of them locked arms, as Daphne squeaked in alarm.

"You can't preserve someone in hot wax!" Freddy said through his clenched teeth.

"It's worth a try," Rufus responded, trying to throw Freddy off him, so he could pull the rope. "If it doesn't work, at least no one else can have her!"

A door on the other side opened. "Hey, Scooby, like, we can hide in here!" Shaggy announced. He backed into the room, concerned with what might be following him. He was completely unaware of the fight between Freddy and Rufus, and Daphne's desperate struggles for freedom.

"Ryeah!" Scooby-Doo agreed. "Rwhew, rsafe rat rlast!"

"Get out of here!"" Rufus shouted, distracted by the newcomers, although not so distracted Freddy could gain an advantage. The fight continued, as Scooby-Doo bit a mouthful of Rufus's trousers, trying to drag him away. Even Shaggy found an ounce of courage, joining in the fray. Rufus strained to reach the rope.

"What's on going?" Velma demanded, entering the room at last. "Jinkies! Daphne's in danger!"

She ran to Rufus, grabbing his arm. Rufus's eyes opened wide in surprise; he tried to say something, but Freddy knocked him to the floor. Velma ran to Daphne, pushing her chair. Rufus jumped to his feet, and pulled the rope, overturning the cauldron.

Hot wax poured straight down!

Luckily, Velma jumped aside just in time.

"No, don't take me from my dream girl!" Rufus protested as the police took him away.

…..

 _ **Six Months Later**_

" _Police are still searching for the millions of dollars in bearer bonds that disappeared from Moonlight Harbor First National Bank…"_

"Ugh, the news." Shaggy reached from the back of the van to change the radio station.

" _Feeling a mite peckish, mateys? Head on over to Cap'n Red Moustache's Seafood Emporium, for Moonlight Harbor's finest fish…"_

"A commercial," Velma complained. The brunette was seated on the far passenger seat. "Daphne, change the channel, please."

" _Cuz I'm the coolest cat around…"_

"Ryuck! Ra rcat rsong!" Scooby-Doo said. The Great Dane extended his tail and changed the channel

"… _.to deep center field. That ball is going, going…"_

"Boring sports." Daphne was seated next to Freddy as he drove the Mystery Machine. She changed the channel.

" _Up next, Sugar, Sugar by the Archies!"_

"Nice to see Moonlight Harbor has a radio station that plays such groovy music," Freddy remarked. He parked the van before a large wooden house with shuttered windows. A black and white lighthouse towered behind it. "Here we are, gang, the Moonlight Harbor Bed and Breakfast!"

They wandered inside. "Mr. Plimpkin, are you in?"

"Oh, hello Freddy," the owner greeted them, popping in from a back room. "I'm so glad you're here. You've got to do something about the ghostly lighthouse keeper!"

"Did… did… did he just say g-g-g-g-ghost?" Shaggy wheezed.

"The spirit of Silas Butten," Mr. Plimpkin explained. "People say he's haunted the lighthouse ever since he died trying to start the light during a storm a couple of centuries ago. Now he's bothering the guests in my bed and breakfast. The few I have left," he added bitterly.

"Like, that lighthouse is really old," Shaggy said. "Why'd he wait so long to start haunting here?"

"That lighthouse didn't used to be there, Shaggy," Velma explained. "They moved it a few hundred yards. Quite a big job, it was."

"Why'd they move it?" Shaggy asked.

"The cliffs were eroding away underneath it." A short man waddled in to join the discussion. "Brink Grubb, at your service." He passed out his business cards, giving Scooby-Doo a patronizing pat on the head. "Developing property's my business. I'm here negotiating with Mr. Plimpkin to buy this rattrap so I can tear it down. Going to put up condominiums, sell 'em for millions!"

"The Moonlight Harbor Bed and Breakfast is NOT for sale!" Mr. Plimpkin said primly.

"Oh, ho! Well, if the bad business continues… and it seems your ghostly lighthouse keeper is seeing to that… then the bills will mount up and you'll have no choice! Better sell now, while you still have some bargaining power!"

"Business will pick up, now that these ghost hunters have arrived," Mr. Plimpkin said. "They'll drive Silas Butten away and everything will go back to normal."

"Hmm?" Brink Grubb eyed the gang skeptically. "They look like they should be thinking up pranks to play on their teachers, not hunting ghosts. Sure you aren't taking on more than you can handle?"

"We've successfully solved many mysteries," Freddy said stiffly, "and we'll get to the bottom of this one as well!"

Brink Grubb scowled. "Let's see if you're still so brave when he makes his appearance!"

"And we hired a new chef," Mr. Plimpkin announced. "French Canadian, named Pierre. Everyone's raving about his dishes."

"Like, lead him to me!" Shaggy exclaimed.

"Ryum, ryum!" Scooby-Doo seconded.

A soft voice spoke up, suddenly. "Hello, Daphne."

"Rufus Milton!" Daphne said in shock.

Her former abductor stood on the stairs. "Nice to see you again."

"Well, it's not nice to see you!" Freddy said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have every right to be here," Rufus answered. "I am a paying guest in this establishment."

Velma spoke up. "It seems very curious to me, Rufus, that you would just happen to be staying here when we were due to arrive."

"Yes, that is curious, isn't it?" Rufus agreed with an infuriating smirk.

"You leave Daphne alone!" Freddy shouted.

"Kindly do not order me about," Rufus said with a sniff. "However, you can put your minds at ease. You need no longer view me as a threat to Daphne."

"Yes, well, you'll understand if I keep a pretty close eye on Daphne all the same!" Freddy said.

"Freddy, please!" Daphne whispered.

"Like, why aren't you in jail?" Shaggy asked.

"I never went to jail," Rufus said. "I was taken to receive help for my behavior. And to cut this argument short, I'll state now that I am no longer interested in Daphne. I've come to realize there's another girl for me, a much nicer and prettier girl."

"There's no girl nicer or prettier than Daphne!" Freddy said loyally.

"Who is this new girl?" Daphne asked.

"Ouch, Daphne, you just stepped on my foot!" Velma complained.

"Sorry," Daphne said absently. "So, Rufus, who is she?"

"All will be revealed shortly," Rufus said, silently walking up the stairs.

"Strange fellow," Brink Grubb remarked. "Frankly, I find him a lot creepier than that ghost. Ah, well, you kids be on the alert!"

…..

"Chef Pierre doesn't seem to be about," Shaggy remarked.

"Rlook rat rall rthose rbags rof rpotatoes, Rshaggy!"

"You could feed an army with them all," Shaggy agreed. "And so much fish! Cod, haddock, salmon…. Scooby old pal, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He picked up a saucer and held it against one eye, pretending it was a monocle. "Scooby, old bean," he said in an atrocious British accent, "we'll jolly well cook up some fish and chips!"

"Ryum!" Scooby-Doo licked his lips.

"What are you doing in here?" an angry voice asked.

"Oh, hi, Velma," Shaggy said. "We were about to make a snack."

"You're supposed to be looking for clues!" the brunette scolded.

"Yes, and we thought the most likely place to find some would be right here."

Velma folded her arms. "Clues in the kitchen? Really?"

"Rplease, Rvelma, rwe're rreally rstarving!" Scooby-Doo pleaded.

Velma unfolded her arms. "I suppose a small meal wouldn't hurt."

Scooby-Doo curled his tail about a peeler and began peeling potatoes, as Velma cut them into long strips. Shaggy, meanwhile, supervised the operation. "Don't forget the fish," he said anxiously.

"What are you doing in here?" a very angry voice asked.

"Oh, hi, you must be Chef Pierre," Shaggy said. "Nice to meet you. We're the ghost hunters. I'm Shaggy, this is my pal, Scooby-Doo…"

"Rnice rto rmeet ryou," the Great Dane said.

"…and this is Velma, who really is a pretty groovy chick, despite the glasses."

"Hey!" said Velma.

"I don't care who you are!" Chef Pierre shouted. "You can't come in here and eat up the supplies!"

"But there's so much and we're so hungry!" Shaggy pleaded.

"I need all these supplies, all of them! I can't have anyone using them up and leaving me without."

"But there are so many potatoes," Shaggy insisted, his hunger making him unusually brave. "Surely you can spare us a few!"

"No, I cannot spare even one potato!" the chef insisted.

"Excuse me, Chef Pierre," Velma said. "I understand you're upset we're using your kitchen without permission, but we really didn't mean any harm. Would it be okay if we made some fish and chips, now that you're not actually cooking anything? I promise we'll clean up afterwards."

"NO! If you don't leave at once, I shall give my notice and return to Quebec, where we never have silly guests who dare disturb a chef's kitchen!"

"But…"

"Get out!" The chef grabbed a soup ladle and waved it like a mace.

That was enough for them. Shaggy, Scooby-Doo, and Velma ran from the kitchen.

"Man, this place is really getting me down," Shaggy complained. "First there's that greedy land developer, then Daphne's stalker, and finally a mad chef."

"Rand rthe rghostly rlighthouse rkeeper," Scooby-Doo reminded him.

"Zoiks! I forgot all about him!"

"Well, I haven't forgotten," Velma said. "Come on, you two, let's look for clues for real. When we solve this mystery, we'll celebrate with a feast at Cap'n Red Moustache's Seafood Emporium!"

"Velma, you said the magic words," Shaggy said. "Lead the way!"

…..

"Jeepers, Freddy," Daphne said, "do you think Rufus really meant it, that he's found some other girl?"

"Of course he didn't mean it," Freddy said. "He said she was nicer and prettier than you, and since there isn't any girl nicer and prettier than you, he obviously made her up. He wants you to feel safe, so he can strike again. Well, I won't let him. With me around, you won't come to any harm!"

"Mpfff!" Daphne answered. A large hand clamped over her mouth, while a strong arm pinned her arms against her sides!

"No one would dare try anything if they see you with me!" Freddy continued.

Daphne waved her hands, desperately trying to call for help. She was in the powerful grip of a spectral being, whose face was gaunt and green, with a few tufts of white hair. He wore an old-fashioned raincoat, boots, and thick gloves.

"Freddy, help me!" Daphne screamed. She'd managed to slide her mouth from the hand, which clamped right back over her lips, silencing her again.

"Of course, I will always help you," Freddy agreed, as Daphne was dragged into a broom closet. "I'll always be there for you, Daphne."

"Freddy, the ghostly lighthouse keeper has mpfff!"

"Now, don't you worry about that ghostly lighthouse keeper," Freddy said, as the broom closet door snapped shut. "You know, Daphne, I think this might be a good time for me to say something that's on my mind. Lately I've been having these feelings for you that, gosh, they're hard to express, but…"

The broom closet door flew open. Daphne stuck her head out. "Freddy! I need mpfff!"

"And I need you," Freddy agreed. "Just what I was trying to say. Daphne? Where are you?"

He glanced around.

"Well, will you look at that! Here I was, pouring my heart out to her, and she wanders off! And after telling me she needed me!" He shook his head. "I wonder where she went?"

It didn't seem likely, but he opened the broom closet, just in case. It was empty, except for a few brooms, so he closed the door again.

"Girls!" he said, continuing down the hall. "Well, if that's how she feels, I'll send her a text letting her know I can manage just fine without her. Oh, hi Shaggy, Scooby," he said, bumping into the pair as he turned a corner. He put his phone away without sending the text. "It sure is good to see you guys. There's nothing like a true friend, one who always stands by your side."

"Like, are you feeling okay, Freddy?" Shaggy asked.

"Never better," Freddy assured him, choking on the words.

"Freddy, where's Daphne?" Velma demanded, joining them. "You know you're supposed to be keeping an eye on her. We don't call her Danger-Prone Daphne for nothing!"

"Gosh, I don't know," Freddy said. "We were walking along, talking, and she wandered off."

Velma frowned. "That doesn't sound like Daphne."

"Well, I can't help it if she decides to go off on her own," Freddy said, sounding very hurt that she would. "It's not like I can keep her tied up so she won't."

"Ruh-roh, rlook reverybody." Scooby-Doo pointed out a window.

Everyone gave a gasp of alarm.

A faint plea for help came from outside. A figure dressed in purple with red hair was hanging by a rope from a window near the top of the lighthouse! It was Daphne, her arms and legs tied with rope, a yellow bandana gagging her. She swung wildly in the wind by a rope encircling her waist!

…..

"Daphne!"

Freddy raced to the lighthouse and looked around. There were no stairs; he realized the only way to climb to the top was by a series of rungs on the inside wall. He grasped one and pulled himself up.

"Mpfff!" Daphne screamed outside. She knew Freddy was on the way, but she was trying to hurry him. She could see the rope above her fraying. It seemed that in only seconds it would come undone, and she would plunge down to the hard ground below!

"I'm coming, Daphne," Freddy shouted. "I'm near the top now." He reached for another rung, but clutched only empty air.

Down he fell, just as Silas Butten had fallen, hundreds of years earlier!

"Look out!" Shaggy shouted, who was standing far below.

"Roh, rno, Ri rcan't rlook!" Scooby-Doo covered his eyes with his paws.

Freddy threw out an arm and grabbed a rung as he fell.

"Rwhew, rthat rwas rclose!" Scooby-Doo exclaimed, who had been peeking.

"Don't stand there gawking, come up and help me!" Freddy started climbing again. This time he reached the top safely. There was Daphne… and the broken rope!

"Mpfff! she screamed, as the rope snapped. She plunged straight down!

"Gotcha!" Freddy shouted, grabbing the rope. He fell forward, hanging out the window, his foot caught on the ledge. Daphne spun wildly about, and then screamed as she plunged again. Freddy's foot had slipped off!

"Rgotcha!" Scooby Doo exclaimed, grabbing Freddy's foot.

"And I got you, pal!" Shaggy clutched Scooby-Doo's tail. He fell forward, just as Freddy had, so his foot was caught on the ledge.

"Roh, rno!" Scooby-Doo whimpered, his tail stretching out.

"Shaggy, hold on!" Freddy called up.

"Like, my foot's slipping!"

"Rouch!" Scooby-Doo whimpered as his tail stretched even longer.

"Yep, my foot's definitely slipping," Shaggy said. "Looks like this is it, gang. We had some great adventures together, but this is the end."

"Mpfff!" Daphne screamed in fright.

"Daphne, calm down," Velma ordered. "Freddy, let her go."

"I'll never let Daphne go!" he protested. "Really, Velma, how can you suggest such a thing?"

"If you'll open your eyes," Velma said, "you'll see Daphne's toes are about an inch from the ground."

"Oh, okay," said Freddy, letting go.

Velma steadied Daphne as she dropped lightly to the ground. Freddy, Scooby-Doo, and Shaggy fell in a heap next to her.

"Everybody okay?" Freddy asked from under the pile.

"Like, I think I twisted my ankle," Shaggy complained, although Freddy didn't pay him much attention. He was busy untying Daphne. "In fact, I think it's broken. Completely crushed. I'll probably never walk again."

"Rrrrrrrahhhh!" a ghostly voice moaned.

"Who's that?" Velma asked, just as the ghostly lighthouse keeper came running straight towards them from behind the lighthouse.

"Zoiks!" Shaggy jumped up, his foot miraculously better. The rest of the gang followed, back into the bed and breakfast.

"Daphne, who tied you up?" Velma asked once they were safely inside.

"The ghostly lighthouse keeper," she explained.

"I mean, who was under that mask?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, we'll find out," Freddy decided. "Come on, gang, it's time for one of my famous traps."

Shaggy shuddered. "Like, we know how those always work out."

"What do you mean by that?" Freddy demanded.

"Like, nothing. Lay this plan of yours on us."

"First of all, we'll need someone as bait."

"Freddy!" Daphne exclaimed. "Haven't I been through enough without being put into danger again?"

"Yes, Freddy," Shaggy agreed. "You can't ask Daphne to be the bait in the trap of yours!"

Freddy smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Shaggy, because you're going to be the bait."

"Like, not happening, man."

"Oh, come on, Shaggy," said Velma. "If you follow Freddy's plan, we can catch this ghostly lighthouse keeper. Then we'll have that celebration meal at Cap'n Red Moustache's Seafood Emporium."

Shaggy shook his head. "Not interested."

"Oh, no?" asked Velma. "Can't tempt you with the New England clam chowder… shrimp tacos… jumbo crab cakes…?"

"Jumbo crab cakes?" Shaggy echoed. "Are they like, extra super-duper jumbo?"

"The jumboest," Velma assured him.

"Okay, you talked me into it!"

…..

Shaggy whistled a couple of tuneless bars. "Like, I never realized how creepy this old place is when you're all by yourself," he said loudly. "This sure would be a bad time to run into that ghostly lighthouse keeper!"

"Rrrrrrahhhhhhhhh!" The ghostly lighthouse keeper jumped out of a broom closet!

"Zoiks!" Shaggy ran down the hall and turned a corner, where Freddy, Daphne, Velma, and Scooby-Doo were waiting. Each of them held the corner of a fisherman's net placed on the floor.

"No, Shaggy!" Freddy cried out. "You're supposed to jump over the net!"

Too late! Shaggy's feet tangled up and he tumbled to the floor. The ghostly lighthouse keeper tripped over Shaggy, crashing into the wall.

"Rrrrrahhhhh…" he groaned weakly. He tried to stand, but slumped down.

"Like, maybe he knocked himself out," Shaggy said hopefully.

"RRRRRRRRRAHHHHHHHHH!" The ghostly lighthouse keeper jumped to his feet!

The ghost hunters split, running in five different directions. The ghostly lighthouse keeper whirled around, and then followed Daphne as she rushed into her room. The redhead stood against the far wall, the ghostly lighthouse keeper towering over her! He roared and waved his hands to snatch her.

Daphne shrank back.

"Rrrrrrrahhhhhh!" roared the ghostly lighthouse keeper.

Daphne dropped to evade his sweeping arms. She rolled to one side, and opened the connecting door to Freddy's room. With the ghostly lighthouse keeper in pursuit, she ran back out into the hall and disappeared into a broom closet.

"Rrrrrrahhhhh!" The ghostly lighthouse yanked the door open.

"Excuse us, sir." Shaggy emerged from the broom closet, strolling with forced nonchalance. Scooby-Doo walked at his side. "Trying to find our room."

"Rpardon rme," Scooby-Doo added.

The ghostly lighthouse keeper automatically stepped aside, and then roared with rage. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy ran down the hall in different directions. As he tried to decide whom to follow, the ghostly lighthouse keeper saw Velma emerging from a bathroom.

"Jinkies!" The brunette bolted into her room.

The ghostly lighthouse keeper backed Velma against a wall, snarling and waving her arms. Just like Daphne, Velma suddenly rolled to one side, and opened the connecting door. He followed her back out into the hall.

"Pull the net now!" Freddy ordered.

Velma jumped over the net, as Freddy, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo pulled it tight.

"Rrrrrrahhhhh!" roared the ghostly lighthouse keeper, but the more he thrashed about, the more he became enmeshed in the net.

"Now let's see who's under that mask," Freddy said.

"Jeepers, it won't come off," Daphne complained.

"Zoiks! Maybe he's a real ghost!" Shaggy said.

"Don't be silly, Shaggy," Velma said. "If he were a real ghost, the net wouldn't have trapped him."

"But why won't his mask come off?" Daphne asked.

"Let me try." Freddy pulled it straight off, to reveal the real face underneath.

"Chef Pierre!" everyone shouted.

"Like, what's this all about?" Shaggy asked.

"I ain't saying nothing!" he snarled, without a trace of his former French Canadian accent.

A few minutes later the sheriff arrived. "Well, well, if it isn't Minnesota Pete, famous for tunneling into banks at night. You know anything about our missing bearer bonds?"

"I ain't saying nothing!"

"Sheriff," Velma said, "if you send a deputy to the kitchen and have him empty the sacks of potatoes, I think you'll find the missing bearer bonds hidden underneath them all."

A deputy left to check, returning a few minutes later. "Yep, they were there."

"How'd you figure that out?" the sheriff asked.

"I was suspicious when the chef insisted he needed so many potatoes for a bed and breakfast with so few customers," Velma explained.

"Aha! So there really was a clue in the kitchen!" Shaggy exclaimed.

"Yes, Shaggy." Velma smiled. "He took the chef job here, so he could tunnel at night. He used the ghost disguise to scare guests away, so there would be less people to notice anything suspicious. I'm guessing he decided to stay on for a bit, until he felt it would be safe to disappear with the bonds without anyone making a connection. The legend of Silas Butten's ghost worked, since they'd just moved the lighthouse here. Everyone would assume the ghost had gone over and was now haunting the bed and breakfast."

"And I would have gotten away with it, too," Minnesota Pete snarled, "if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"

…..

 _ **Epilogue**_

"So, you uncovered the mystery of the ghostly lighthouse keeper," Brink Grubb said. The real estate developer shook his head. "Too bad for me! That fellow almost allowed me to buy this place for a song!"

"Now you'll never get your hands on my bed and breakfast!" Mr. Plimpkin declared.

"Good!" Freddy exclaimed. He stood in the lobby, along with Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo, waiting for Velma to come down from her room.

"Now I'll have to do something drastic," Brink Grubb said.

"Why can't you leave poor Mr. Plimpkin alone?" Daphne demanded.

"He isn't going to be poor Mr. Plimpkin much longer," Brink Grubb said, sliding a slip of paper over to him. "Here's my new offer for your place."

"Nice try, but Mr. Plimpkin isn't interested in your money," Freddy said.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Plimpkin's eyes bulged as he read the figure on the paper. "Congratulations, sir! You've just bought the Moonlight Harbor Bed and Breakfast."

"Um, well, I guess things worked out," Freddy said doubtfully. "Hey, where's Velma? We need to get going. We have a case in Starshine Mountain, to investigate the mummy that's been haunting the natural history museum."

"Zoiks! A mummy!" Shaggy said, shaking with fright.

"I can already feel him winding his bandages around me, binding and gagging me!" Daphne said. "Placing me in an empty sarcophagus and shutting me in. Jeepers, everyone will walk by, without a clue I'm trapped right in front of them! All part of his plan, perhaps, that I'm to be his bride for all eternity!"

"No mummy or anyone else is going to tie you up," Freddy said. "I won't let them!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "At least we'll be away that awful Rufus Milton."

"Hmm," said Brink Grubb. "I have seen much of that strange fellow lately. Wonder what he's been up to?"

"Do you think he's really found some other girl to obsess over?" Daphne asked.

"Of course not," Freddy said. "I explained before, he made her up."

"Well, I don't know," said Daphne. "I kind of think there really is someone else. I wonder who she could be?"

"Reverybody, rlook!" Scooby-Doo suddenly shouted.

They looked out the window. There was Rufus Milton, carrying Velma, who struggled in his arms! She was tied with ropes and gagged with a pink bandana! Rufus noticed them looking at him, and smirked back as he stood her on the ground and opened the passenger door of his sports car.

Everyone raced outside. Velma bent her knees to jump towards them, but Rufus gathered her in his arms. He placed her in the seat, buckled her seat belt, and turned around.

"I told you I found someone nicer and prettier than Daphne," he called out as the gang approached. "I realized Velma was my real dream girl the day she ran in to rescue Daphne. We're going off to be together forever, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" He jumped into his car and sped away.

Everyone piled into the Mystery Machine. Freddy gunned the engine and raced after Rufus… hoping he could get enough speed out of the van to catch Rufus's powerful vehicle….


End file.
